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Last year at this time,
the Oakland Raiders were wrapping up an 11-5 regular season before embarking
on a run to the Super Bowl.
A lot has changed.
The Raiders look to elude their first season without a road win since 1964, and avoid matching the team's worst campaign of the last 41 years when they visit the San Diego Chargers.
Just one season after losing 48-21 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl, the Raiders are 0-7 away from home, recording their longest road losing streak since dropping 10 straight over the 1961 and 1962 seasons.
Oakland hasn't
gone winless on the road in a season since posting an 0-5-2 mark away from home
in 1964.
A loss Sunday also would drop the Raiders to 4-12, the same record they had
in 1997 and their worst since the league went to a 16-game format in 1970. Oakland
did go 1-13 in 1962 for the worst record in franchise history.
The Raiders have been decimated by injuries, with starting quarterback Rich Gannon, backup quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo, three starting offensive linemen, and defensive stars Rod Woodson, Bill Romanowski and Trace Armstrong among the 13 players on injured reserve.
``It's disgusting,'' defensive tackle Chris Cooper said. ``Everything just seems to go against us. ... You've got to try to end it on a good note. We have to go out and win to have any confidence going into the offseason.''
Left tackle Barry Sims, who missed parts of the last three seasons due to ongoing foot problems, will become the lone member of Oakland's offensive line to start in all 16 games this year.
``Either I'm really lucky or I'm really tough, one of the two,'' Sims said. ``I have nicks, dings and cuts like everyone else but I'm excited to be able to start 16 games. That was a goal of mine and it's an accomplishment for me.''
Oakland's confidence took another hit on Monday night as it lost 41-7 at home to Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers. Favre passed for 399 yards and four touchdowns a day after his father's death.
``It's like it's almost a nightmare,'' Raiders wide receiver Jerry Rice said. ``It's been a long season this year. You try to keep the faith, you try to work yourself out of the funk. Things are just not happening. This one is hard to swallow.''
This could be the last game in a Raiders uniform for both Rice and fellow wideout Tim Brown, the longest-tenured member of Oakland.
``I don't know what's going to happen after the season, I really don't,'' Rice said. ``I'm trying to take it for what it's worth. I don't know what's going to happen with the team. I'd like the opportunity of coming back and, should I say, redeem ourselves. But who knows?''
Brown also said he hopes to return for his 17th season in Oakland.
``I have plans to be back,'' he said. ``If come the offseason the Raiders decide to go in a different direction, I'll have to make a decision.''
The only decision left for the Chargers is who they will take if they get the No. 1 pick in April's draft.
The Chargers and Arizona Cardinals are tied for the worst record in the league at 3-12, and with both teams in the market for a quarterback, either club could select Mississippi's Eli Manning with the top pick.
San Diego's quarterback situation has been a mess this season. Drew Brees began the year as the starter, but went 1-7 and was benched in favor of Doug Flutie in early November.
Flutie went 2-3 leading the Chargers, but coach Marty Schottenheimer decided to go back to Brees on Dec. 14 against Green Bay. Brees lost that game as he was intercepted once and lost two fumbles.
Schottenheimer started Brees last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he threw two more interceptions and lost a fumble before being replaced by Flutie in San Diego's 40-24 loss.
Brees has 17 turnovers while going 1-9 as a starter this season.
``We're in a rut right now of turning the football over and it's compromising our ability to win football games,'' said Schottenheimer, who reiterated on Monday that Brees will start this week.
``I have not lost confidence in Drew Brees, but he is going to have to step forward and show an ability to take care of the football.''
Despite San Diego's poor
season, general manager A.J. Smith said Tuesday that Schottenheimer will return
next season for his third year with the Chargers.